Billboards to show offenders

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Brown County Sheriff’s Department is using a new tactic to collect outstanding warrants.

People with non-criminal warrants can take advantage of an amnesty program and set up payment plans or make arrangements to clear their warrants.

“The amnesty program is something that the judges asked for to allow people to come in voluntarily before the advertising of their names and faces are put up on billboards to allow them to take care of the warrants themselves,” said Dave Konrath with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.

There are more than 3,500 outstanding warrants in Brown County.

Konrath said he hopes by putting people's faces on the billboard, that number will be greatly reduced.

“Hopefully it will embarrass them enough to want to get this taken care of so that they're not picked up and inconvenienced that way,” said Brown County judge Mark Warpinski.

Warpinski heard from a handful of people on amnesty day, trying to take care of their fines before they go through that embarrassment.

“People need to be reminded to meet their obligations,” he said.

That reminder is something Matt Reid says he's grateful for.

“I didn't know about this warrant, my PO didn't know about it until Thursday, I didn't know anything about it 'til Thursday so I got her done,” said Reid.

Reid came in on Friday and set up a payment plan for his outstanding fines. Now he won't end up on a billboard, or back in jail.

“I don't want to go back. I'm done sitting my time. I grew up a little bit,” he said.

Those who end up on the billboards have offenses ranging from felony criminal activity to retail theft and unpaid speeding tickets.

This is the first time Brown County is using the billboard tactic and officials say if it's successful, it could be utilized again in the future.